The new programme will be built on four pillars and will support cutting-edge research and innovation, attract and nurture research talent, promote international collaboration, and connect science with society.

• Pillar I: "Excellent Science" aims to strengthen the EU's scientific base, attract top talent, and promote excellence in European research. It includes the European Research Council (ERC), the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and science for EU policies through the Joint Research Centre. The ERC will be expanded to enhance its capacity to support frontier research, focusing on funding outstanding researchers and their teams under the “Choose Europe” approach.
• Pillar II: “Competitiveness and Society” is designed to support collaborative research and innovation in areas of high societal impact. It focuses on EU competitiveness in areas such as the clean transition, digital leadership, defence, industry, and space, in close cooperation with the European Competitiveness Fund. It will also address global societal challenges and include EU Missions, as well as the New European Bauhaus Facility.
• Pillar III: “Innovation” aims to support innovation in Europe by promoting the development of new products, services, and business models. The European Innovation Council (EIC) will be expanded to fund high-risk, disruptive projects through a staged approach and will introduce a dedicated pathway for defence and dual-use startups.
• Pillar IV: “European Research Area” (ERA) aims to support the development of a unified European Research Area, with a focus on promoting excellence and impact, including a reformed widening component. A new feature will be support for the development and operation of research and technology infrastructures. Programme implementation will be streamlined, including simplified support, fewer topics, and a shorter time between call closure and grant signature.

Moonshot Projects

In addition, Horizon Europe—closely linked with the European Competitiveness Fund—will have the capacity to develop “Moonshot Projects”, moving from research to demonstration and real-world deployment. These projects would be supported through pooled funding from the EU (Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund), national, public, and private sources.

Designed to position Europe as a global leader in strategic fields, these projects will drive progress in areas such as:

• The future circular collider
• Clean aviation
• Quantum computing
• Next-generation AI
• Data sovereignty
• Automated transport and mobility
• Regenerative therapies
• Fusion energy
• Space economy
• Zero water pollution and ocean observation

Next Steps

Interinstitutional negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission will now take place.

Background

Over the past year, several high-level reports on research and innovation in Europe have been published. Mario Draghi's report on the future of European competitiveness emphasized the importance of integrating R&I into the core of the EU’s economy to drive sustainable growth. Enrico Letta’s report, “Much More Than a Market,” advocated for a “fifth freedom”—the free movement of knowledge—to enhance research, innovation, and education in the Single Market. The report by an independent expert group led by Manuel Heitor, “Align, Act, Accelerate,” on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe, offered recommendations to improve the programme’s ability to align R&I with Europe’s strategic goals.

The interim evaluation of Horizon Europe has shown that the programme delivers significant social and economic benefits. It is estimated that every euro of EU contribution will generate up to €11 in GDP gains by 2045. As of January 2025, Horizon Europe has funded over 15,000 projects with a combined budget of more than €43 billion.